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Main Streets and Back Roads: Lighthouses

They are beacons in the night sky, statuesque sentinels dotting the coast or rising from the sea. What makes someone a lighthouse lover?

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Updated: 8:00 PM EDT May 25, 2017

Main Streets and Back Roads: Lighthouses

They are beacons in the night sky, statuesque sentinels dotting the coast or rising from the sea. What makes someone a lighthouse lover?

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Updated: 8:00 PM EDT May 25, 2017

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WEBVTT >> THIS IS CHRONICLE ON WCVBCHANNEL 5.>> THE OLD KEEPERS ARE GONE.OR ARE THEY?>> THERE MAY BE SOME KEEPERSTHAT ARE STILL HERE.>> A FLOATING FIXER UPPER ARATES -- AWAITS YOUR ARRIVAL.>> IN MARBLEHEAD, A BARE-BONESBEACON RAISES EYEBROWS.>> A SKELETAL IRON TOWER.>> SIGNATURE SIDES OF THE NEWENGLAND COASAND GUIDANCE.TONIGHT, THE STORIES THEY TELL.>> I'M A LUCKY GIRL.I WORK AT THE LIGHTHOUSE.>> MAIN STREETS, LIGHTHOUSES.NEXT ON CHRONICLE.>> WE ARE COVERING A LOT OFGROUND OR WATER TONIGHT.>> THE LIGHTHOUSE TO HER TELLSTALES OF GHOSTS, ROMANCE ANDREBIRTH AND FEATURES SOME OF THEMOST STUNNING VIEWS YOU CAN GETOF NEW ENGLAND.>> THAT ARE BEACONS IN THE NIGHTSKY, STATUESQUE, DOTTING THECOAST, RISING FROM THE SEA.>> LIGHTHOUSES WERE BUILT TOSAVE LIFE AND PROPERTY.>> IT IS THIS.OF ADVENTURE FOR THE SORROWKNOWING NEW ONES WILL NEVER BEBUILT.>> THEY STAND FOR HOPE AND FAITHAND GUIDANCE.>> JEREMY IS THE GOTO PERSON FORNEW ENGLAND LIGHTHOUSES.HIS HOME PORT IS PORTSMOUTH.>> I FELL IN LOVE WITH THEIRBEAUTY AND THE BEAUTY OF THEIRSURROUNDINGS.THEIR HUMAN HISTORY, THE STORIESOF LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS, THATGRABBED ME.>> ONE OF ONLY TWO ON NEWHAMPSHIRE'S DIMINUTIVE 18 MILESHORELINE, THEY CARE FOR THELIGHT BUT THE REST IS IN THEHANDS OF A NONPROFIT THATMAINTAINS THE TOWER AND KEEPS ITOPEN.>> IT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC EVERYSUNDAY FROM MEMORIAL DAY TOCOLUMBUS DAY.THEN ONE SATURDAY NIGHT A MONTHWE HAVE HAUNTED TUMORS -- TOURS.THERE MAY BE SOME KEEPERS WHOARE STILL HERE.>> THE LONGEST-SERVING KEEPER.>> INSTEAD OF SLEEPING IN THEWATCH ROOM AND KEEPING AN IONTHE LIGHT, THE KEEPER HAD THELUXURY OF KEEPING AND I ON THELIGHT FROM THE COMFORT OF HISOWN BED.THERE HAVE BEEN SKEPTICS WHOLEAVE NOT A SKEPTICAL.>> PORT SMITH, THE FIRSTLIGHTHOUSE NORTH OF BOSTON.THE FIRST SKIRMISH IN THEAMERICAN REVOLUTION TOOK PLACEIN 1774.EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK AROUND,TREMENDOUS HISTORY.>> BOSTON, 300 YEARS AGOLIGHTHOUSE HISTORY WAS MADE.HERE, AMERICA'S FIRST LIGHT, THELAST TO BE AUTOMATED AND THEON ONE MANNED WITH AN OFFICIALKEEPER.>> I HOLD THAT POSITION NOW.LIKE SALLY IS THE 70THLIGHTHOUSE KEEPER HERE, THE ONLYWOMAN IN 300 YEARS.SHE DRESSES TO HONOR THE LIGHT'SHISTORY.TIME TO GO INSIDE WITH THISMILESTONE, A COMPREHENSIVECHRONICLE OF AMERICA'S BRILLIANTBEACONS.CURIOUSLY HE NEVER VISITED ALIGHTHOUSE UNTIL HE MOVED TOMARBLEHEAD.>> THIS LIGHTHOUSE WAS BUILT IN1896.THEY WERE GOING TO BUILD A BRICKLIGHTHOUSE HERE.THEY DECIDED TO BUILD A SKELETALIRON TOWER.IT'S THE ONLY OF ITS TYPE IN NEWENGLAND.THE ONLY ONE NORTH OF CONEYISLAND, NEW YORK.FOR A LONG TIME I WANTED TO BEJET COUSTEAU.I GOT SERIOUSLY ENTER ACTING ANDWANTED TO BE -- HIS EDITOR SUGGESTED A BOOK ONLIGHTHOUSES.HE DISCOVERED 300 YEARS OFFASCINATING HISTORY.THERE ARE LIGHTHOUSE HEROES.THERE ARE TRAGEDIES.DISASTERS.MAJOR STORMS.ARCHITECTURAL MAGNIFICENCE.PERSONAL INSPIRATION.ART, POETRY.THIS HAD A LITTLE BIT OFEVERYTHING.>> ONE OF THE VIRTUES OF WRITINGON A TOP, EVERY WEEK IS AREVELATION.>> A PAINTING HANGS IN HIS DEN.>> IT'S A PAINTING OF THELIGHTHOUSE ON MARTHA'S VINEYARD.IT WAS DONE BY MY DAUGHTER INHIGH SCHOOL.SHE SAID I PAINTED THIS TOENCOURAGE YOU, TO INSPIRE YOU TOFINISH THE BOOK.>> IT WORKED.>> I LOVE THAT.PEOPLE LOVE LIGHTHOUSES.IT IS NO SUPPLIES HIS BOOK HASDONE SO WELL.HE WAS VISITING AN ELEMENTARYSCHOOL AND A GIRL SAID TO HIM IWILL GIVE YOU TWO DOLLARS NOWFOR YOUR BOOK AND I WILL PAY FORTHE REST WHEN I BECOME AN ADULT.GOOD BARGAIN.VERY CUTE.ED: THE LATE 1800S, MOST WEREMADE OUT OF CAST-IRON.IT WAS DURABLE, IT WASECONOMICAL.>> THIS NEIGHBORHOOD HAS ALIGHTHOUSE ALL ITS OWN.>> FIVE MILES OUT HERE IN THEMIDDLE OF THE OCEAN.>> PLUS A BED AND BEACON.

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Main Streets and Back Roads: Lighthouses

They are beacons in the night sky, statuesque sentinels dotting the coast or rising from the sea. What makes someone a lighthouse lover?